5 Ways Martial Arts Is Better for Fitness Than the Gym

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Category : Fitness★Martial Arts

Most people would think first about going to the gym instead of signing up for martial arts when they need to get fit. While it’s certainly true that the gym is a more popular option, martial arts are actually better for fitness aspects.

Martial arts is the eventual solution for people who find their workout somehow lacking in their requirements. It’s the better answer for many outstanding reasons. Here are 5 ways martial arts offers so much more than the gym:

Physical Gains

A typical gym session is limited to a few groups of muscles at a time. For example, Monday could be dedicated to your triceps area. Wednesday is leg day, and Friday is for your core muscles. Martial arts is fundamentally different. You get to use the full range of motion movements, which ultimately leads to an intense workout that let you use more muscles than a typical day at the gym.

Martial arts will have sparring sessions that results in you getting more fit no matter how it ends. Some of the most notable martial arts activities like TaeKwonDo, MMA, kickboxing and judo promise more calories burnt per hour than any workout regimen at the gym. Other, more gentler martial arts like Tai Chi are excellent for older people because they get a low-impact workout with amazing health benefits.

There’s a lot of benefits you can get with martial arts training. Aside from getting into shape, you’ll also learn how to defend yourself. The skills you will learn will prepare you for the real world. Part of a martial arts discipline is learning how to visualize in order to maximize the benefits of training.

You’ll use varying types of equipment when training on a specific martial arts discipline. More often than not, you’ll soon learn how to work with varying types of resistance as well. Martial arts will teach you more about self-defense, tenacity, discipline, endurance and greater physical mobility than any gym can. You’ll come out confident and courageous. Plus, you’ll have the tools you need to survive in today’s society.

Mental Benefits

A good workout should involve not just the physical realm, but all the realms of the self as well. The physical part is just one part of the whole equation- a well-rounded training should include the mind as well. You will learn to build up discipline, confidence and specialized knowledge, which isn’t always present when you work out at a gym.

Why do people work out? It’s different for each person, but the most common underlying cause is that they want to feel good and look good. Others will say it’s a means to de-stress. Running the treadmill or pumping iron may bring about relaxation, but martial arts will put your mind to a zen-like state of meditation. You get far more mental stimulation because you gain practical information. The skills you learn in martial arts can be applied in self-defense. Furthermore, the information serves to awaken your mind on what your body is truly capable of. It’s empowering, to say the least!

You’ll learn to make quick, sensible decisions and call upon the appropriate techniques when you go for martial arts instead of the gym. Your stress levels will also take a dip as you learn how to master the self through meditation and breathing exercises.

Emotional Health

You’ll start to doubt yourself in the gym by the time you hit a plateau. Sure, the early sessions were a huge success, but then physical limitations take over and you’ll be trying to scale a wall that you cannot possibly surpass.

Martial arts work differently. Yes, you still rely on your muscles, your strength, your knowledge of techniques and skills and study different philosophies, but there’s no plateau to speak of. There’s a feeling of accomplishment, of constant success. Instead of doubt, you’re left satisfied in a rewarding system. You’ll have a chance of being better than yesterday.

You’ll learn how to manage your emotions and keep them under check. Meditation calms the mind and it strengthens your spirit. With the added focus, you’ll know which way is the right path to take in your life. Students of martial arts disciplines aren’t immune to fear, anxiety and disappointment, but they will learn how to harness these feelings and turn them into good. This translates to how you manage your emotions in daily applications, such as work or relationship conflict.

Social Growth

Most people fail to show up the next day at the gym because they discover that there’s no guidance and that it’s boring because there’s no direction. When you try to keep at it, you’ll soon discover that you’re like a hamster in a wheel- every session is the same. Repetition and the same motions. Your focus wavers, and you eventually run out of motivation.

Martial arts teachers guide every step of the way. They will push you to do your best and they will teach you new techniques as soon as you are able to perform them. In short, you won’t lack support and guidance.

Enroll in a martial arts class and you’ll feel like part of a community. You’ll make new friends and become part of a greater whole. The beauty of a martial arts class is that competition is very healthy. All participants are working and striving for the same thing. There’s accountability and encouragement within the community.

Martial arts is the safer alternative to a gym workout. You stand a higher chance of getting injured as you lift weights and push your physical limits. Training in martial arts are always supervised. The movements and the sparring sessions are more dynamic, but they are always facilitated under the careful eye of a martial arts master. The teachers show you the correct form when performing techniques to lessen the chance of injury.

The All-In-One Package

The best fighters and competitive martial arts practitioners do a whole lot of other physical endeavors instead of just practicing their moves. Gyms are great for reaching your fullest physical potential, but martial arts are the complete package. It trains the body, the mind and the spirit, making you well-rounded as a result. Enrolling in a martial arts class will be the best investment you’ll ever make in your life. A gym membership certainly has its perks and benefits, but martial arts is definitely better for fitness than visiting a gym.

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